Waterproofing



.Reisa ued Oct 10,1922.

U ITED STATES" ARNOLD HORN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WATERPROOFING.

In Drawing. Original No. 1,397,788, dated November 22, 1921, Serial No. 398,887, fled July-24, 1920. Application for reissue filed May 31, 1922. Serial No. 564,980.

To all whom it my concern:-

Be it known that I, ARNoLD MOHN, a citizen of Switzerland, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and' state of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Waterproofing, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in waterproofing, and it has for an object the production of a waterproofing substance and a process for applying waterproofing substances to serve various purposes such as to render cloths, papers, and other substances impervious to water, or to prevent oxidation of metals.

The result of carryin proofing processl'which I have discovered consists in impa'rtin to the surface, to be waterproofed, or-to' e protected from oxidation or other injury due to moisture and the like, a thin coat of substantially pure aluminum stearate. The process consists in selecting a relatively small amount of powdered aluminum stearate and a. relatively very large amount of some suitable solvent.

Suitable solvents for this purpose are orgame chlorine derivatives, such ascarbon tetrachloride, dichlorethylene or trichlorethylene; The solvent which I prefer for thepurpose is carbon tetrachloride; and, While other relative proportions of the substances may be-used, I prefer for the purpose substantially one part by weight of the aluminum stearate to 58 parts of the carbon tetrachloride. The substances are thoroughly mixed in a suitable vessel, such as a metal kettle; and the mixture is then heated and boiled for substantially one hour when the aluminum stearate will be entirel dissolvedin the tetrachloride. The boil ng is carried on in conjunction with a reflux condenser, so that the vapors driven off are at once condensed and returned to the kettle, so as to maintain substantially the same proportions of the two substances during the process. g

The substance thus produced is a colloidal solution of pure aluminum stearate in a thin volatile solvent. As a consequence, by applying-the solution to. the surface to be protected the fluid flows into allof the interstices of the surface, the volatile solvent evaporates, and the colloidal aluminum stearate is deposited on the substance formout the water- 1 ing a thin, but firm, transparent, flexible, closely adhering coat, insoluble in water or other ordinary liquids and sufliciently filling the pores of any porous substances to prevent moisture penetrating. Hence my process consists also in applying, in any suitable manner, a coat of the solution to the surface to be impregnated, and in causing the solvent to evaporate by exposure to the air or by using any suitable means for hastening the evaporation.

As the solvent comprises such a large proportion of the waterproofing substance, to avoid waste of the solvent, another step in the process which may be taken, is to drive off the solvent, by any suitable means, such as to warm the surface, or pass over it a stream of warm air, and then collect and .condense the va or which passes off from the surface. I t us apply to the surface to be protected a suitable waterproofing coat, using the solvent merely as a carrier of the waterproofing substance; and the only expense for material is due to the aluminum stearate which is used, as the solvent may be used for a new solution.

The substance which is produced during. the carrying out of the above described process is a thin colloidal solution of aluminum stearate in a suitable solvent such as carbon tetrachloride, the stearate being thoroughly dissolved and in such a condition that it will be carried by the solvent into all of the interstices of the surfaces to be protected, and then will be deposited firm on the surfaces free from impurities includin the solvent itself. This solution ma be inclosed in any suitable containers, and may be transported whenever desired and used at pleasure. The amountof stearate is so small when in the solution it may 'be said to be in an extremely rarified condition supported or carried by the solvent;

and hence the process ultimately results in depositing a coherent film of the stearate on the surface, by means of the carrier, as

the rarified stearate is left behind as a residue while the solvent is evaporating.

I claim as my invention:

1. A process of making waterproofing composition consisting in mixing a relatively' small amount of aluminum stearate i in a solution of carbon tetrachloride, in boiling the mixture for a material length of time until the stearateis thoroughly dissolved, and in maintaining during the boiling process substantially the same proportions of the substances. v

' 2. Anarticle of manufacture for water- 5 :proofing comprising a solution of a rela- ,tively small amount of aluminum stearate dissolved in carbon tetrachloride.

3. An article of manufacture for water proofing comprising a solution of a relativel small amount of aluminum stearate disso ved in carbon tetrachloride, the proportions being one part by weight of the wstearate to 58 parts of the tetrachloride,

4. The process of making a waterproofing 15 solution which consists in mixing a relatively small amountofaaluminum stearate in a solution of a volatile non-inflammable liquid organic chlorine derivative, boiling the mixture for a material length of time until the steal-ate is thoroughly dissolved 20 and in maintaining during the boiling process substantially the same proportions of the substances. I 5. As a new article of manufacture, a waterproofi liquid comprising a colloidal 2-5 solution of a uminum stearate in a volatile non-inflammable liquid organic chloride derivative.

ARNOLD MOHN. 

